Vacuum-cup-fastening means for dental suction-plates



G. S. WHITAKER.

VACUUM CUP FASTENING MEANS FOR DENTAL SUCTION PLATES.

I APPLICATION FILED AUG. 19, 1919.

1,343,949. Patented June 22, 1920.

Gen/96S. mks;

' INVENTOR/ BY I ATTORN E Y PATENT OFFICE.

GnoRGE wnirAi-ina, or LQVERWILLE; new some w oUUM-cuP-r is'rnnms MEANS, FOR ll il TziLv SUCTION-PLATES.

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b ail w/zmmi may comer 1i: I I I lie it known that I' Coroner-1S. lVnrrAKnR citizeno'; the United States, residing at a Gloversville, in the county ofFulton and c bleiv York, have invented a new cful Vacuum-Cup-Fasten1ng Means for D en tal' Suction-Plates, of which the folcup fastening means for dental suction plates, and its object is to provide for the fastening of a suction*cup,'{'formed separately from a denture, inthe suctioncavity of the denture 111 such n annerthat nometal whatever can come into contact with any part of the tissues of the mouth of the user andthe cup is held in place against liability of accidental loosening or becoming detached, although readily applied or detached when desired. s

The invention is along'the same general hnes as'tha-t CllSClOSQCl-Hl my Letters Patent it-1,253,654, for dentalretainer-and process of making same, granted January 15, 1918,

and in some respects is similar to thestructure shown and described in an apphcation Serial No. 318,520 for dental suction plate filed by me on even date herewith.

In accordance with the invention the denture is provided with a suction cavityhaving at its bottom a screw socket, and asuction or vacuum cup of flexible material, such as soft rubber, isprovided and: furnished with a screw plug so arrangedias to screw tightly into the socket .but isat the same timecapable of beingremoved therei from for cleansing or repairs;' The screw plug and screw socket form two coaeting,

members of a fastening "device and each member is vulcanizedin the; vacuum cup and body of the denture respectively. The vulcanizing of the parts in place constitutes a particularly reliablemode ofuniting in a permanent manner the fastening means to, v

-6 1s of a sue to fit snugly into the depression 7 and in the basic portion 6 there, is

the parts to be secured together with the arrangement such that there is no possibility of metal parts, of whichthe fastening means are usually made, coming iii contact with the tissues of the mouth.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing formingpart of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the show ng Specification of mm Application; filed August 1 B, 1919. Serial No; 318,519. r

w In the: drawing invention has reference to vacuum of: the drawing, but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of'the invention as expressed 1n the appended claims.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through a denture, provided with the invention. i

Fig. Q-is a diametric section through the suction or vacuum cup alone.

Fig. 3 is a bottomplan view of the suction cup of Fig. 2. i

1 Fig. 4 is a section through that portion of the denture including the suction cavity and showing a screw socket anchored in the denture." c

ig. 5 is a plan view of the structure shown inFig. 4,

Fig. 6 .isajsection through a mold plate with the screw socket applied thereto for molding the suction cavity of the denture and anchoringthescrew socket in the denture. g I

The showing of "the draw ng is on an exqa gregated scale in order that small parts ay be clearly shown,

lie" the upper or roof portion of which there is produced a suction recess or cavity 2 with undercut walls similar to the arrangement of the aforesaid Letters Patent. There is also provided a suction or vacuum cup 4 with beveled peripheral walls 5 and a thickened basic portion 6,'these parts being parts shown in lodged a plate 9 having a screw stem 10 projecting from one face thereof, the plate 9 being of considerably greater diameter than the stem 10. In order to secure the threaded stem 10 with its plate 9 firmly in :lnthe drawing, there is shown'a denture the basic portion 6 the plate 9 is embedded in the basic portion and vulcanized therein so that the material of the base 6 completely incloses the plate and a portion of the stem 10, leaving the free end of the stem projecting from that face of the base 6 remote from the interior of the cup 4. The plate 9 is provided at suitableintervals outside of the stem 10 with perforationsll traversed by the material of the base 6 whereby to anchor the plate and stem against displacement in the base 6, thus making the union permanent. j

The suction cavity 2 is formed, in the production of the denture, by means'of a mold plate 12 having a beveled periphery 13 corresponding to the undercut portion 3 of the suction cavity, At the mid-portion of the mold is a projection 1 1.011 one face thereof and centrally of the projection 1 1 is a stem 15 on the side of the projection 1 1 remote from theplate 12.

There is also provided a socket member 16 of a size to fit into the cavity extension 8 and this socket member has at its open end a marginal flange 17 of greater diameter than the depression 7 and outside of the latter provided with perforations 18. When producing the denture 1 the plate 12 is made fast to the dental mold and the socket 16 is applied to the stem or projection 15, leaving the flange 17 in part beyond the outer margins of the projection 14: so as to be in spaced relation to theadjacent face of the plate 12. When the material of which the denture l is made is placed against the. dental mold to the required depth, some of the material is forced through the perforations 18 and into the space between the flangel'l and the adjacent face of the plate 12. When the denture is vulcanized the socket 16 thereby becomes embedded and anchored in the denture, the socket, which is usually of metal, preventing any of the material of the denture from entering the space occupied by the socket. After the denture has been properly vulcanized the plate 12, which may be suitably treated either as described in the aforesaid Letters Patent or in any other suitable manner to prevent the vuleanizable material from stlckmg to 1t, 1s withdrawn,

, thereby leaving the cavities 2 and 7 and also leaving the socket 16 permanently embedded in the denture.

In order to apply the suction or vacuum cup 4 it is only necessary to screw the stem 10 into the socket 16 which is correspondingly screw-threaded and the parts are so proportioned that when the cup 4 is screwed tight the base 6 is seated against the upper surface of the flange 17 and the cup 4 is centralized with relation to the cavity 2. lVhen the denture is placed in the mouth of the user the cup 4; is flattened out so that the margins 5 enter the cavity 2 but the cup is so proportioned that the beveled margins when it .is. desired to remove the denture from the month. All metallic parts represented by the fastening device consisting of the screw stem 10 and screw socket 16, are thoroughly protected by the material of the base 6 from contact with the tissues of the mouth of the user. At the same time the cup a may be readily unscrewed from the socket 16 for cleansing or renewal purposes.

- What is claimed is l. A dental plate provided with a suction cavity and a separate vacuum cupto coact therewith, and a two-part fastening device for securing the cup to the. dental plate within the suction cavity, comprising a screw stem with a headed end wholly embedded and anchored in the basic portion of the vacuum cup and protected thereby from contact with the tissues of the mouth of the user, and a screw socket embedded and anchored in the dental plate atthe bottom of the suction cavity.

2. A dental plate provided with a suetion cavity and a separate vacuum cup to coaet therewith, said cup having a thickenonen s. WHITAKER.

l/Vitness:

EDWARD FONDA. 

